Reality
by Extreme Light 9
Summary: Waking up alone in the shack wasn't something Ford expected. Now he's going to need her help to find a way to bring everyone back. Set after The Last Mabelcorn.
1. Tension

**Chapter 1 – Tension**

 **A/N: Hey everyone! I'm back with a new story. This is a Mabel/Ford bonding story that I had for a while now. Watching DaMvtF made me realize just how much Ford is underestimating Mabel so I had to write this fic.**

 **Enjoy!**

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Mabel sighed as she stared at the ceiling of the attic room, wishing for sleep to come. She have been hardly getting any rest lately. She doesn't like this worrying business.

She rolled over for the umpteenth time and glanced over to her brother who was out like a light, sleeping soundly. She just wished she could be like that. There was a nagging feeling at back of her mind that wouldn't go away no matter how much she tried to ignore it.

Besides, Mabel normally isn't the type of person who would worry about things and overthink them all the time. That was more of Dipper's area.

Sighing heavily, she curled up in her blanket and closed her eyes, hoping to at least a get a little bit of rest before the others woke up.

 **XXXXXXXXXXX**

"Mabel, wake up,"

Mabel slowly stirred and her eyes cracked open to see her brother's face staring down at her.

"Come on, you don't wanna miss breakfast, do you?" he asked as she sat up slowly. It was then he noticed the exhausted look on her face.

"Hey, you okay? You look tired."

Mabel yawned, rubbing the tiredness from her eyes. "I'm fine, just couldn't get much sleep last night."

"Are you sure?" Dipper frowned as he eyed her doubtfully.

"Yeah, don't worry bro!" She grinned and shoved him playfully.

"Okay," Dipper shrugged and headed downstairs. Wasting no time, she quickly changed into her normal attire and made her way downstairs to the kitchen. She found Grunkle Stan reading a newspaper while Ford was making something by the stove with Dipper.

Mabel greeted both her grunkles cheerfully before sitting at the table where a plate of pancakes was waiting for her. Grunkle Stan must be in a good mood today. It was then she noticed that Dipper hadn't joined her at the table and so did Stan as he called for him.

"Hey kid, hurry or pancakes will get cold!"

"Oh not today Grunkle Stan. Great Uncle Ford is making something," he replied absently.

Mabel noticed the disappointed look on her uncle's face and quickly chimed in. "Hey it's okay Grunkle Stan. I'll try them." She said and took a mouthful of pancakes into her mouth with a goofy grin. This seemed to put a smile on Stan's face.

"Alright it's ready. Just wait until you try it!" Ford exclaimed as he placed a plate of pancakes of his own making with Dipper not far behind.

The rest of meal was filled with awkward silence that was occasionally broken by Dipper asking Ford questions or Stan and Ford sending each other cold glares. Mabel wanted to ask Dipper if he wanted to hang out with her today, but she couldn't get the chance.

"Alright Dipper, it's time to head back. I still need your help with…..you know what." Ford stated as he eyed him knowingly. Mabel raised an eyebrow in confusion. What was he talking about?

"Oh right!" Dipper beamed and quickly began following their uncle out of the kitchen.

"Can I come too?" Mabel asked hopefully.

Both her brother and uncle tensed at her question. Ford quickly regained his composure. "I'm sorry Mabel, but I only need Dipper."

Dipper sent her an apologetic smile. "Hey, it's probably just more of that complicated science stuff. You wouldn't be interested." He said and with that they both left her alone in the room.

Mabel watched the two leave the room and sighed. This wasn't the first time Dipper left her to go do something with great uncle Ford. She knew she should be happy that her brother was bonding with the author of the journals and she really was, but she hated being left out like this. She and Dipper barely spend any time together anymore.

Mabel knew it wasn't Dipper's fault. It was Ford who didn't want to her to come along with them, but why? Did she do something wrong or does he think she couldn't handle whatever they were working on?

 _But I can handle it and maybe even help out with their mystery project!_ Mabel thought as she chewed on a lock of her own hair, something she did whenever she was deep in thought.

Grunkle Stan was in the middle of cleaning the dishes when he noticed the state she was in.

"Hey, chin up sweetie. You could hang out with me once I'm done." He told her with a small smile.

"Okay," Mabel replied, trying to easy the heavy feeling in her chest.

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"So what is exactly do you need help with?" Dipper asked as they made their way downstairs to the lab.

"Well Dipper, while the barrier we built around the house is very effective it won't stop Bill from trying to get his hands on the Rift." Ford explained. "That's why we need to think of a new way to protect it."

"But what else can we do?" Dipper asked, frowning.

"I'm thinking about making a containment unit for the Rift. It might take some time, but it should be enough." He said and walked over to the table where some blueprints were.

That's when the bout of dizziness came. Ford suddenly felt uneasy and his head ached, making him sway a little.

Dipper seemed to notice this and quickly hurried to his side. "Great Uncle Ford, are you okay?" he asked concerned.

"I'm fine…I just…" Ford winced, his vision beginning to blur as his knees finally gave out and fell to the ground unconscious.

"Great Uncle Ford!"

 **XXXXXXXXXXX**

Stanford slowly regained his senses and opened his eyes to find himself lying on the lab floor. He groaned and massaged his temples as the pain slowly faded. Once his vision cleared he realized he was alone in the room and there was no sign of Dipper anywhere.

"Dipper?" he called out wondering where the boy have gone, but none answered. Did he go to get help when Ford collapsed?

Fearing he might have given the kid a scare, he quickly got back on his feet and made his way back to assure him that he was fine now.

Slowly, the vending machine door swung open and Ford walked out into the gift shop only to be hit with more silence. The gift shop was empty and he couldn't hear any voices in the house at all. Did Stanley take them somewhere while he was out of it?

"Hello? Anyone?" he called out, feeling as if he travelled back in time thirty years ago when he lived in the shack by himself. Where did they go? Did something bad happened to them?

Suddenly, he heard shuffling sounds coming from upstairs. Someone was coming. Feeling his paranoia kicking in, he reach for his gun and silently waited as a colorful figure came from around the corner.

"Freeze!" Ford growled and aimed at the small figure causing it fall backwards to the floor with yelp.

That's when Ford finally got a better look at it and lowered his gun when he realized who he was staring at.

"Mabel?"

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 **A/N: That's it for the first chapter. Let me know what you think of this with a review.**


	2. Missing

**Chapter 2 – Missing**

 **A/N: I can't believe how much feedback the first chapter got! Thank you all for reviewing. I really appreciate it. I'm really busy with college right now, but I'll try update this story at least once a week. Here's chapter two.**

 **Enjoy!**

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"Ugh,"

Mabel's eyes slowly opened, feeling the numbness leave her body. She sat up and rubbed the back of her head carefully.

"What hit me?" she asked out loud, looking around to see that she was alone in the attic bed room.

"Grunkle Stan?" she called out. He had been playing a game of cards with her when she felt dizzy all of a sudden. _Where is he? He had been here a moment ago._ She looked down to see the cards scattered on the floor, but her uncle was nowhere to be seen.

Deciding to look for him, the twelve year old stood up and made her way through the hallways. As she walked down the stairs she was surprised by the amount of silence in the house. The Shack was never this quiet before, not even during the night.

She had admit it made her feel uneasy. _Where is everyone?_ She thought as she walked into the gift shop. Maybe she'll find him there.

"Freeze!"

Mabel jumped, falling on her back painfully with a loud yelp. Dazed and confused, she looked up only to see Ford standing in front of her with a gun pointed directly at her head.

To say she was scared was an understatement. Mabel felt her blood run cold and she was too frightened to form words. She curled up into a ball and whimpered weakly, bracing herself for what's coming. She shouldn't have come here, she should have stayed in her room.

To her surprise, nothing came.

"Mabel?"

She violently flinched away when a hand touch her shoulder and looked up to see her uncle staring back at her. He no longer had his gun in his hand and was looking at her with shock and concern.

"G-Great Uncle Ford," she whimpered fearfully at the man in front of her.

"Mabel I'm so sorry…..I didn't know it was you." He said unsure of what to do. He hadn't meant to frighten his great niece and felt twig of guilt for scaring her like this. Slowly, he knelt down to her level and reached out for her. "It's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you." He told her softly.

Mabel stared at the hand for moment hesitating before taking it and he gently helped her stand up again. Mabel finally allowed herself to calm down a bit and released a breath she didn't know she was holding.

Ford sighed. "Now tell me what happened. Where is everyone?"

"I-I don't know. I was playing with Grunkle Stan in the attic when everything gone topsy-turvy and when I woke up he wasn't there." Mabel explained.

"Then we need to go out and find them." Ford stated firmly.

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"Dipper! Grunkle Stan?" Mabel called out as she stood outside the shack. "Are you there?" she had been looking for them for a while now, but no one answered yet and it worried her. Just then, Ford came from inside the shack.

"Did you find anything?" he asked.

Mabel sighed and shook her head. "No,"

Stanford rubbed his chin and stared at the forest in thought.

"Hey, maybe they just went to town to grab something," Mabel said hopefully.

Ford doubted that. Dipper wouldn't have left him unconscious in the lab to go somewhere else. No, something must have happened.

"I'm going to search the woods. You wait here in case they come back, okay Mabel?" he asked her.

"Okay," Mabel nodded, watching her uncle walk away and disappear through the trees. With nothing left to do she made her way back to the shack.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Ford walked through the forest while looking around attentively. This was the first time he left the shack since he arrived and apparently, the Gravity Falls forest hasn't changed much over the last thirty years from what he could tell. It still gave the same eerie vibe and he couldn't shake the feeling of being watched as he ventured deeper.

He could still remember coming here almost every day decades ago to explore and study anomalies so he was confident that he could deal with whatever he may encounter. And thanks to the metal plate in his head Ford was certain he was safe from _him_.

That's when he heard it. A snapping sound coming from behind him and he quickly turned around to see what it was, thinking his niece had followed him here.

"Is that you Mabel?" he called sternly only to back away from the trees when something darted between them fast and circled around him.

Without hesitation, Ford reached for his gun and stood still, eyes darting around and ready in case the creature shows itself.

He suddenly caught a glimpse of a silhouette standing in the trees, gazing at him. Narrowing his eyes, Ford tightened his grip on his weapon and braced himself, but the thing surprisingly didn't come at him and disappeared before he could do anything.

Stanford stood there for a moment, staring at the spot where the creature was in confusion.

 _What was that?_

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Mabel sighed as she silently walked through the rooms of the shack. As much as she wanted to go with Great Uncle Ford she knew he had a point. Maybe Dipper and Stan will come back on their own and they've been worrying for nothing.

With that thought in mind, the girl walked over to the living room humming a tune from a pop song she liked. Watching TV will probably cure her boredom.

Just as she walked into the room, she saw something sticking from behind the couch.

"Huh?" Curious, she reached out and picked up the familiar blue and white pine tree cap from the floor.

Mabel knew her brother would take it wherever he goes so why did he leave it here? She sighed and clutched the cap close to her chest.

"Dipper, please be okay."

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 **A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I already have the next one planned out and will start working on it right away.**

 **Please review!**


	3. Trust Issues

**Chapter 3 – Trust Issues**

 **A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks for all the reviews. You're the best!**

 **Since I didn't have a lot of work to do I managed to finish this chapter quickly. This has more Mabel/Ford interaction in it. I hope you like it.**

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Mabel was sitting on Stan's favorite chair watching re-runs of Ducktective while knitting a new sweater, mostly to keep herself busy until her great uncle comes back. She stopped for moment to check her work so far, already having an idea of what it would be. A blue sweater with a picture of a yellow heart on it.

She smiled fondly at her work and continued knitting, her thoughts then drifting back to the cap her brother left behind.

Mabel groaned. She had been trying so hard to not think about what happened, but she couldn't help it anymore. She was really worried about her brother and uncle. Where are they? Were they hurt? She couldn't stand the idea of them being in danger and shook her head immediately.

 _I still have Great Uncle Ford though._ She reminded herself. Her uncle was really smart. He'll knew what to do. He'd fix this.

Frowning, Mabel bit her lip and glanced over at the door. Ford has been gone for a while now and hasn't returned yet. _Where is he? He should be back by now._

Soon enough, she heard the sound of the door opening and she literally jumped from her spot on the couch, dropping everything she was holding on the floor as she hurried to the gift shop.

"Great Uncle Ford!" the girl exclaimed once she found him. "Did you find them?" she asked hastily.

Ford shook his head. "No unfortunately, I even check some of the caves in the mountain and there was no sign of them anywhere." He explained and Mabel frowned, crestfallen at the news.

"Don't worry. I'm sure they're fine. I'll head to the lab and look for another way that could help us find them." said Ford. Mabel suddenly grinned. Maybe this was her chance to help her uncle and bond with him.

"Alright, onwards!" Mabel exclaimed dramatically and made a dash to the vending machine door only to feel a tug from her sweater's neck and was pulled back by Ford.

"I'm sorry Mabel, but you need to stay here."

"What!?" Mabel cried in disbelieve. "But Great Uncle Ford I want to help!"

Ford pinched the brick of his nose. "I know Mabel, but the things I work on, they're dangerous. It's not safe for you down there." He stated.

 _Then how come you take Dipper there all the time?_ She thought angrily.

"But I-"before she could finish, Ford was already punching the code and opened the door.

He then looked back at her. "Just wait here until I come back, okay?" he asked, a bit forcefully.

Mabel was taken back by this and didn't argue. "Fine,"

Ford nodded, descending down the stairs and closing the door behind him.

Once again, Mabel was left alone in the room and she let out a frustrated huff, feeling angry and hurt. It's not fair! How come Ford lets Dipper into the secret basement lab, but not her? Why does he feel the need to keep her away from there?

Then it finally dawned her.

Ford doesn't trust her.

Mabel didn't want to believe it. That can't be right, but the more she thought about it the more it made sense in her head. Ford doesn't think she's trustworthy. That's why he doesn't like the idea of her being in his lab, but why? When did she ever give him a reason not to?

 _Ford doesn't trust me._

The thought itself made her heart sink and she couldn't help shuddering by the implications behind it. No, this was all in her head. It can't be true. She gave the vending machine door one last look before turning away.

 _Ford doesn't trust me._

The thought wouldn't leave her.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXX**

Stanford meanwhile made his way down the stairs. He knew he might have upset his niece by keeping her away from his lab. There were actually times he considered telling her about The Rift, but then decided against it. Ford liked his great niece, he really did. She was bright, outgoing with a magnetic personality, but she can be unpredictable and won't take his work seriously.

 _Just like Stanley,_ Ford thought bitterly. He couldn't risk telling her or Stan or anyone else about The Rift and the other things he's working on. So he decided that it was for the best to keep it between him and Dipper.

He sat in front of his desk and pulled Journal 1, looking for any clues that could help him locate his nephew and brother. He was sure the cause behind their disappearance was unnatural.

"Nothing," he muttered as he slammed the book shut and moved on to the next, even going as far as looking through some of his old notes for anything that could shed light on this mystery, but every time he reached a dead-end. Ford had been reading non-stop for….well he wasn't sure know how long he had been down here, but he could feel his mind numbing from exhaustion.

"Great Uncle Ford?"

Ford nearly jumped from his chair and looked back to his niece who was staring at him with concern. He was so engrossed in his work that he didn't hear her come in!

Ford scowled. "Mabel, what are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay upstairs!"

"I'm sorry, but you've been down here for hours. I was worried so I came to check on you." Stated Mabel.

Stanford froze.

Hours? He glanced over to the digital clock on top of the console and realized that she was right. He had been working for five hours straight!

Sighing, Ford took off his glasses and rubbed his tired eyes. "I'm fine don't worry about me. I just lost track of time. I still have a lot of work to do though." He said before returning his attention to the notes on the desk, but he couldn't really focus on anything with his mind feeling like jelly.

That's when he realized that the kid hadn't moved from her spot and was looking around in confusion.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Yeah, when was the last time you ate?" she asked. "I don't see any plates or food in here."

Ford paused, not expecting that question from the kid at all. He furrowed his eye brows as he tried to remember. "I had pancakes….I think."

"That was morning!" Mabel gasped. "We need to fill your stomach now!" she took him by his hand and pulled him away from the desk.

"But I need to work!" Ford protested though he was too tired to try slipping away from her grip.

"No buts mister!" Mabel continued pulling him until they reached the kitchen upstairs and led him to a chair. "Wait here,"

Ford sighed as he watched the preteen leave. Moments later, she returned with a plate of omelet.

"I made you an omelet shaped like your own face! C'mon try it," she encouraged him with a smile and indeed it looked like his own face. Ford took his first bite and was lost afterwards. He began to shovel the meal into his mouth with no grace. He never realized just how hungry he was.

Ford suddenly felt bittersweet. He had been away from this dimension for so long he almost forget what it was like to have someone taking care of him. He missed having someone caring about his well-being, missed someone worrying about him.

Missed all of this.

"Do you like it?" she asked. Ford managed a small nod as he continued eating.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Later that night, Ford decided to tuck Mabel into bed. He left the kid by herself all day and couldn't help feeling guilty about it now.

Mabel changed into her floppy disk shirt and quickly climbed onto her bed.

Ford then cleared his throat awkwardly. "I'll be in my bedroom downstairs so call me if you need anything, okay?"

"Okay," Mabel replied softly, her eyes beginning to close. Ford nodded and began making his way out of the room.

"Good night, Great Uncle Ford." she mumbled.

Ford paused and looked back to his niece who already nodded off. Ford felt a small smile flicker across his lips as he watched her sleep.

"Good night, Mabel."

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 **A/N: Phew, this was the longest chapter yet. I hope I kept Ford in character. I figured he won't be the type of person who would open up to anyone easily. Thanks for reading and please review!**


	4. Nightmares

**Chapter 4 – Nightmares**

 **A/N: Hey everyone. I'm sorry for taking some time to update I wasn't feeling well lately, but I'm fine now. Thanks for all the great reviews. Here's chapter four.**

 **Enjoy!**

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 _Mabel found herself wandering through the woods alone. The forest seemed to stretch for miles and only the faint moon light was helping see her way around._

" _Hello?" Mabel called out, her voice slightly shaken. "Dipper! Grunkle Stan? Anyone?" She made her way down the forest path while looking warily._

 _Mabel had been to the forest many times and it never scared her before, but in all those times she had Dipper or someone else to accompany her. Mabel never felt more alone than now. Everything was too quiet for her liking and she wasn't familiar was this part of the forest_

 _She was lost._

 _A cool breeze made her shiver and she hugged her arms as she kept walking down the path hoping to at least find her way back to the shack. Suddenly, she saw someone standing in the clearing and she gasped when she realized who it was._

" _Dipper!" Mabel cried happily. She couldn't believe it. Here brother was here and okay. Maybe he knows where Stan is too._

 _Dipper turned to look at her with an unreadable expression on his face before he took off running away._

" _Dipper, wait!" Mabel didn't waste any time and hurried after him. "Come back!"_

 _It wasn't long until she had to stop to catch her breath and looked around for her brother, but he was nowhere to be seen. Mabel was confused now. Where did he go? Why did he run away from her?_

" _Dipper?"_

 _Crack!_

 _Mabel froze, having heard a branch snapping behind her. Slowly, she turned around and saw something hiding in the trees, but she couldn't really see what it was in the dark. It stood there, bright golden eyes watching her carefully and there was black mist coming out of the creature's tall frame._

 _Mabel felt the hairs on her body stand up and she backed away in fright. Wasting no time, she took off running to opposite direction. She didn't know what that thing was, but she knew she needed to get away from it now!_

 _An inhuman shriek filled the air and the girl could hear the monster chasing her so she ran faster in hopes of losing it. Mabel found herself stumbling over a rock and she quickly scrambled to get up again. No, she couldn't stop. It was getting closer. It was going to get her!_

" _H-Help!" She cried, wishing Dipper, Stan, Ford or ANYONE would come to her. Just when she thought she got away, Mabel felt a hand grab the back of her sweater and pulled her away into suffocating darkness._

Mabel woke up with a loud scream, her heart pounding in her chest. Panicking, she looked around to see that she was back in the attic room. Her body was trembling violently and she was having a hard time calming down. The memories of the horrible dream were still fresh in her mind. Slowly, she curled up in her bed and cried.

 **XXXXXXXXXXX**

After leaving the attic room, Ford hadn't gone to sleep immediately. He had checked all the rooms and closed the doors mostly to make sure they were both safe from any danger before turning in for the night. Ford didn't know how long he slept, but he knew it wasn't long until a high-pitched scream woke him up.

Without thinking, Ford bolted out of his room and up the stairs to check on the kid. What happened? Was there a monster in the room? He almost threw the door open and hurried inside. Instead, all he saw was his niece huddled up on her bed sobbing.

Ford's eyes searched the room for the cause of the kid's distress, but he saw nothing out of usual. What happened then? The old man hesitantly walked over and sat next to the girl, who made no sign of realizing he was there. Ford rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, unsure of what to say. He was never good at comforting people especially kids and he didn't know what to do in these kinds of situations.

"Mabel, are you okay?" he finally asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. Yes, there were tears falling down her cheeks and he frowned in concern. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"The worst." Mabel whispered hoarsely, leaning closer and burying her face into his chest. Ford nodded and draped his arm around her, holding her tightly. An idea suddenly came to him. He reached out and began rubbing circles at her back tenderly, something he recalled seeing some parents do to calm their children down.

"Hey, it's okay. Whatever you saw back there it was just a dream. It can't hurt you Mabel." He said, trying his best to sound assuring. "It's okay now." It took several minutes until Mabel finally calmed down.

The preteen looked up to him and sighed. "I'm sorry I woke you up." She said, scrubbing the tears from her eyes.

"It's not your fault. I know how nightmares work and I know you didn't really mean it. Don't worry." Ford replied, fighting back a yawn. He was ready to leave the room when the kid spoke again.

"Great Uncle Ford?"

He stopped in his tracks and looked back at her. "What is it?"

"Can you stay here just a little bit more?" Mabel asked hopefully. Ford blinked in confusion at this and rubbed the back of his head in thought.

"Well….alright," he finally answered and sat down on the side of the bed again. This seem to put a smile on Mabel's face and she quickly curled up in her bed.

"Thanks," she said softly before closing her eyes and drifting off again. Stanford folded his arms and watched the girl silently. It was then he noticed that even while she slept Mabel managed to keep that smile on her face and something about that made his heart swell.

Ford soon found himself nodding off as well and fell into dreamless sleep.

 _Maybe things won't be so bad after all._

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 **A/N: I hope you liked this chapter. Thanks for reading and please review.**


	5. Connections

**Chapter 5 – Connections**

 **A/N: Hey all! I'm back with a new chapter. Thanks for all your support and reviews. I really appreciate it!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Gravity Falls.**

 **Enjoy!**

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Ford woke up the next day, feeling more rested than he had been in a while, which was unusual for him. He usually didn't sleep well, but somehow this night was different.

It was then when he looked around that he realized he fell asleep on Mabel's bed. Looking over, he found the kid curled up in her blanket, sleeping soundly beside him.

Ford smiled at the sight and patted her shoulder lightly before standing up and stretching himself. He then glanced at the empty bed on the other side of the room, the one that belonged to Dipper and frowned.

His nephew and brother have been missing for a whole day and there was still no sign of them yet. He racked his head for any idea of where could they be now, but again nothing came to mind.

Sighing, he turned around and made his way out of the room. He paused in the doorway and glanced at the sleeping girl for a moment before slowly closing the door behind him and heading downstairs to the kitchen. Ford knew he would have to return to the basement lab to continue his work later.

Once he made himself some coffee, Ford wandered outside the house to clear his mind. He walked over and sat down in the porch, taking a sip from his mug.

It was early in the morning. He could hear birds chirping around and he caught sight of a deer moving in the bushes not far away. Ford allowed himself to relax as he sipped down his coffee.

The deer suddenly tensed up and quickly darted away, almost as if sensing great danger approaching. Just then, all the natural sounds of woods died down and Ford could no longer hear any noises around him. No birds. Nothing. It was like the entire forest have gone mute, leaving him in silence. He raised an eyebrow in confusion. _What happened?_

Ford then saw something move in the trees and watched as black mist began closing in from the forest. Faintly, he could make out a shape standing in the shadows. Ford narrowed his eyes, trying to get a better look at whatever was watching him. It suddenly revealed a set of bright golden eyes peering directly at him.

Ford's breathing hitched and took a few steps back in alarm, wishing he brought his gun with him.

The thing stayed there for another minute simply watching him silently before turning back and disappearing into the woods again.

Ford stood there for a few minutes, trying to comprehend what just happened. He didn't know what that thing was, but he knew it wasn't good. Wasting no time, he turned around and headed inside.

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Mabel slowly stirred and sat up, rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes. Thankfully, she didn't have more nightmares for the rest of the night. Still wearing her nightshirt, she made her way downstairs to the kitchen.

To her surprise, her uncle wasn't there. Confused, she tried looking for him in the gift shop and down the basement.

"Great Uncle Ford?" Mabel called out as she looked around, but he was nowhere to be found. A horrible thought suddenly entered Mabel's mind. What if Ford was gone? What if he disappeared just like Dipper and Stan? What if she was the only one left?

The idea itself terrified her and she quickly hurried upstairs, calling frantically for her uncle and getting more and more panicked. "Where are you!? Great Uncle Ford!"

"I'm in the living room!" a familiar calm voice called back. Mabel quickly headed there and found her uncle sitting at the table, scribbling something down.

Mabel felt relief wash over her, glad that he was still here. "Morning, Great Uncle Ford!" she greeted cheerfully.

"Morning," he replied absently. He then stopped and looked over to her from his seat. "By the way, why were you yelling like that?" he asked, giving her a puzzled look.

"Oh," Mabel paused and rubbed the back of her head uncomfortably. "I-I couldn't find you at first and I was afraid that you….disappeared too." She said hesitantly. She knew she shouldn't freak out every time Ford left her for a few minutes, but she was so on edge after what happened the other day and feared he might leave her too.

Ford noticeably grimaced after he hearing this and she quickly tried to change the subject. "What are you doing anyway?"

"Well, I was in the middle of making some wards to keep monsters away from the shack." He explained and showed her some papers with strange symbols on them. "I was hoping it would make the house…safer." Ford avoided mentioning what he saw this morning to the kid.

Mabel's eyes immediately lit up. "Can I draw too?"

Ford shrugged and passed her some paper. "Alright, just try drawing a symbol similar to the one here," he instructed before continuing his work. Mabel eagerly grabbed a pen and began scribbling down with a big grin on her face.

Ford meanwhile was in the middle of drawing another symbol and frowned in confusion when he thought back to the incident earlier. Monsters usually didn't come near the shack as far as Ford could remember and he wanted to make sure it won't happen again. Hopefully, these wards should be enough to keep them away.

"Done!" Mabel cheered as she held out her paper to him.

"Alright, let's see what you have." Ford said and was actually impressed when he compared her drawing with his. They almost looked identical!

 _Well, Dipper did say she is really good at arts and crafts_. Ford thought to himself.

"Is it okay?" Mabel's voice then broke him from his musings.

"Ah, yes….it's good." Ford smiled and gave her a pat on the head. "Well done, Mabel." He said, causing the small preteen to giggle in delight. "Now help me put these around the house. Then we can have some breakfast."

Mabel beamed. "Okay!"

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Once they put up enough wards around the house, Ford took Mabel back inside to the kitchen. He opened the fridge and frowned when he noticed it was near empty. He wasn't surprised. Stanley was the one who always went to buy groceries. He made a mental note to go shopping later.

Sighing, Ford took out some bread and peanut butter to make sandwiches. "Hey, you're not allergic to peanut butter, are you?" he asked her, suddenly wary of the possibility.

Mabel shook her head. "Nope! I love peanut butter!"

Ford let out a breath of relief and set the items on table. Mabel grinned as she put together a sandwich for herself and happily munched it down, watching her uncle eat his own and offering her one of his rare smiles.

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Ford decided to take Mabel with him to buy groceries later that day. They found the keys to Stan's old El Diablo and made their way outside.

"Is it a good idea for me to go to town? I'm supposed to be hiding from the public." Ford stated as they got into the car.

"Well, if anyone asks I'll just tell them you're a relative visiting us." Mabel shrugged and put on her seatbelt. After a few rounds on dirt roads to remember how to drive a car, they headed to town.

Ford kept his hands deep in his pocket the entire time once they left the car. Mabel seemed to notice this and tried coaxing him to pull them out, telling him that 'it was fine' and 'no one will care about it', but Ford insisted on keeping them hidden. Luckily, there weren't many people in the store so Ford pulled them and held out his shopping list and began taking everything they needed.

"Can I take a bag of Gummy Koalas, Great Uncle Ford?" Mabel asked. Ford assumed it was a type of candy.

"I don't see why not." He replied though he couldn't shake the feeling that he was forgetting something.

"Yay!" Mabel cheered and ran off again.

Once they had everything, they went to the cashier. Ford watched Mabel open the bag of Gummy Koala and plop one into her mouth.

And that's when the bucket of ice water hits as it finally dawned Ford what he was forgetting and his eyes widen.

"Mabel?"

Mabel looked up at him. "Yeah?"

Ford knelt down and placed his hands on her shoulders, speaking in hushed tone. "I don't want to alarm you, but I just realized….I don't have any money."

It took Mabel a moment to process this new information and when it finally sunk in her jaw dropped in disbelieve.

"That'll be forty-six dollars, sir." The man said patiently.

Both Pines stiffened, unsure of what to do. They glanced at each other for a moment and Ford muttered.

"Run."

In a flash, Ford quickly grabbed their bags and dashed towards the exit with Mabel not far behind.

"Hey! You didn't pay for that. Get back here!" the cashier yelled, but the two already hopped into the car and Ford drove off as fast as possible.

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 **A/N: Well, it seems Ford is more like Stan than he thinks. I hope you had fun reading this as much as I did!**

 **Please review!**


	6. Kidnapped

**Chapter 6 – Kidnapped**

 **A/N: Thanks to all the people who reviewed. I'm glad that you're enjoying this story. Here's chapter six.**

 **Enjoy!**

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After fleeing the store, Ford drove the car silently back to the shack. Ford could feel the heat rising in his cheeks as he recalled the stunt he did earlier.

He glanced over to Mabel who was gazing through the window, humming softly to herself and looking as if this nothing happened. Soon enough, they arrived at the shack. Ford grabbed their bags and headed inside to the kitchen followed by the small preteen.

"Hey Mabel, could you….not tell Stanley about what I did at the store today?" Ford asked nervously, knowing well that his brother would tease him mercilessly if he ever finds out about this.

Mabel tilted her head in confusion and shrugged. "Okay, but I doubt he would care about it. Grunkle Stan does things like that all the time." She replied and then felt Waddles nudge her leg. She smiled and knelt down to pet him.

 _Why doesn't that make me feel any better?_ Ford thought as he began filling the fridge.

"Do you need any help with that, Great Uncle Ford?" asked Mabel.

Ford shook his head. "No, I'm fine. You can go and play outside if you want."

"Okay!" Mabel carried Waddles and made her way outside the kitchen.

"Just make sure you stay near the house, alright?" Ford called out and watched the small girl leave the room.

Once she was outside, Mabel found herself playing tag with Waddles and eagerly chasing after him. As she promised, she tried not go too far from the shack.

"Waddles! Wait!" Mabel giggled as hurried after her beloved pet. Waddles ran down the dirt road and she happily followed him.

Waddles stopped suddenly as if sensing something and fled to the opposite direction squealing in distress. Mabel stopped in her tracks confused "Waddles? Where are you going?"

That's when she he heard rustling in the bushes in front of her. Something suddenly emerged from there and lunged at Mabel before she could scream.

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After leaving the kitchen, Ford decided to head to the basement lab, hoping to find anything that could lead them to finding their missing family members. He still hadn't checked the rest of his notes. What if there was something he missed? Something that would tell him where they are right now?

With that in mind, Ford walked over to the vending machine and pressed the button on his wristwatch, making the door swing open. Ford was about to enter, but then stopped when he noticed just how quiet it was outside the shack.

Ford figured he would he'd hear the sounds of his niece playing out there, but he heard nothing and it worried him.

Ford glanced at the machine door and sighed before heading towards the screen door. _Just for a minute_ , he thought. He would check on his niece to make sure she was okay then go to the lab.

Ford stood in the porch and looked around, but there was no sign of the kid anywhere. "Mabel? Come out," Ford called out and waited for an answer, but there was none and the older man felt a knot form in his stomach. What happened? Did she wander off somewhere?

Just then, he saw something coming his way and he recognized it as Mabel's pet Waddles looking distressed, but no Mabel…

That was enough to set off the warning bells in his head. Something was wrong. Something must have happened to Mabel and she needed his help. Without a second thought, Ford shot off into the woods calling his niece's name.

"Mabel! Where are you?" he shouted, a feeling of dread filling his heart as he ran through the forest.

"Mabel! _Answer me!_ "

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Mabel let out another muffled scream as she felt hundreds of tiny digits drag her further from the Mystery Shack. She struggled and thrashed, but she wasn't strong enough to get away.

They suddenly stopped in a clearing and Mabel was finally able to look around her to see a familiar group of miniature forest gnomes.

Mabel groaned in annoyance. "Not you guys again!"

"Well, well, look what we have here." Jeff said as he stood in front of her.

Mabel scowled at him. "What do you want Jeff?"

"Oh, that's easy to explain." Jeff stated. "After you got away with that brother of yours we were left without a queen. We've been waiting for a chance to get back our gnome queen ever since and by a stroke of luck, here you are now…" he grinned at her.

"But I don't wanna be your queen!"

The gnome leader shrugged. "You'll change your mind later. Okay boys, tie her up and take her back to the gnome kingdom!" he ordered excitedly. More little men suddenly appeared and began swarming around the small preteen.

Panicking, Mabel began thrashing frantically to get away. She managed to kick a few away from her, but there were too many and they surrounded her from all sides. "No wait! Stop!" Mabel cried as they pulled her away. "Help!"

"GET AWAY FROM MY NIECE NOW!"

The gnomes spun around in unison and watched the angry man storm towards them. Jeff stepped forward. "Whoa, hey now. Look pal, we're just having a misunderstanding here. The kid is fine. We're not gonna hurt her." he stated.

"Then what exactly are you doing?" Ford demanded angrily.

"Well ya see, we lost our old queen some time ago and now we need a new one! We're gonna take her back to our kingdom and she'd have to marry all one thousands of us. No bigge!" Jeff explained.

"Great Uncle Ford," Mabel stared at him from her spot worriedly.

Ford's scowl deepened. "And what makes you think I'm going to let you do that?"

The gnome leader scoffed. "Ha, and what exactly can you do about-" before he could finish, he was kicked out of the path by Ford and landed a few feet on the ground. Wasting no time, Ford bolted into the crowed. He then grabbed the kid, lifting her up in his arms and backed away.

Ford found himself pressed against a tree as they surrounded them, blocking any chance for them to escape.

"Nowhere to run. Hand over the kid now!" Jeff shouted.

The old man wrapped his hands around the kid tightly and glared at them. "No."

This seem to infuriate them even more and they began advancing on them. Ford tensed up while Mabel looked surprisingly calm.

Ford was about to reach for his gun when he suddenly heard a pop and a strange wiring sound before he was lifted off the ground.

Ford gasped in panic, watching the ground getting further and further while the gnomes were staring at them in shock from far below.

"Grabbling hook!" Mabel exclaimed and Ford's grip tightened on the girl as they swung above the stunned gnomes to safety and landed roughly on the ground.

Groaning, Mabel pressed the retract button on her grabbling hook and looked over to her uncle who was still recovering from the fall.

Ford heard shouting in the distance and knew they didn't have much time until the gnomes caught up to them.

"Hurry!" he exclaimed and they both took off running through the trees. Branches and twigs hit them from all sides, creating small cuts on their skin. Mabel winced when she felt something scratch the lower part of her leg, but she tried to get ignore the pain in favor of getting away.

It didn't take long until the shack came to view and Ford sighed in relief. The wards they had put up earlier should keep the gnomes away. He then looked down at Mabel who was trying to catch her breaths.

"Are you okay?" he asked and frowned in concern when he noticed all the cuts on her face and the rest of her body. There was also a long scratch on her leg. Ford knew he was in no better shape either.

"I'm fine, they don't hurt that bad." Mabel replied, but he could tell she was just trying not to worry him. Those injuries needed to be treated right away.

"Come on. Let's get you fixed up." Ford took her hand and led her inside.

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 **A/N: This chapter took more time to write than I expected, but I'm glad managed to finish it. Also, we got to see some Protective!Ford. XD**

 **Thanks for reading and please review!**


	7. Burdens

**Chapter 7 - Burdens**

 **A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews! I think there are only three chapters or so left before the story is completed.**

 **Enjoy the new chapter!**

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Once they were inside the shack, Ford led Mabel to the kitchen and helped her sit on a chair.

"Where does Stanley keep the first aid kit?" he asked.

"In the closet over there," Mabel answered and pointed to where she remembered seeing Stan place it the last time.

Ford nodded and walked over to the closet, pulling out the first aid kit. He then awkwardly knelt down in front of the girl, focusing on her face first. Ford studied her injuries. There were a few cuts on her forehead and cheeks. They didn't look very deep, but he knew they probably hurt.

He pulled out some antiseptic and began covering the cuts with the cream, making sure not to press too hard on them. After spending years dealing with paranormal creatures Ford had gained more experience in treating injuries than he thought he could and he wouldn't deny that he got hurt more than once during some of his explorations.

Once he was satisfied, he moved down to her legs and Mabel immediately flinched when he touched the long scratch on her leg.

"Sorry, I know it stings, but it'll help." Ford told her softly and leaned closer to her leg trying to be more careful this time. Mabel winced, biting down on her lip as she tried to ignore the pain.

Ford finished after adding enough of the cream on her cut and bandaged her leg up to her knee. "There! That should be enough."

Mabel gave her leg a light flex and smiled at him. "It feels so much better now. Thanks!"

Ford nodded and was about to put everything away when Mabel spoke again.

"'Okay, your turn!"

Ford looked up to her in confusion. "Huh?"

"You treated my injuries and now I'll treat yours." She explained and got off the chair. Ford was taken aback by this. He had planned to patch himself up down in the lab.

"There's no need for that. I can do it myself," Ford argued.

"Don't worry, I know how to do it." Mabel insisted.

"No really I-"

" _Sit!_ " Mabel said firmly, a serious look on her face.

Ford sighed, but complied, having learned not to argue with his niece when she was like this. He hesitated for a moment before sitting cross-legged on the floor. Mabel grinned and began treating the cuts on his face. Luckily, he only a few scratches on his face and hands thanks to the thick clothes he wore.

Ford tensed slightly. He always treated his own injuries by himself and didn't trust anyone to do it for him especially during his stay in the other dimension, but he could tell that Mabel was being really careful and he felt his body relax at this.

Noticing the look on his face, Mabel backed away. "Are you okay? I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Ford shook his head. "No, it's fine." He said and motioned for her to continue. Glad she was doing alright, the small preteen resumed her work on his hand. Mabel worked very slowly to avoid making any mistakes and hurting him even more.

"Annnd done!" she exclaimed after bandaging his hand. "Is it tight enough?"

Ford examined his hand carefully and nodded. "Yes, thank you." He said, reaching out and ruffling her hair affectionately.

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Later that evening, Ford was searching through the cabinet for something to make dinner with. Now after shopping they had more things to choose from, but Ford knew he wasn't that good at cooking so he decided to pick something easy.

He soon found a box of macaroni and cheese. It looked simple enough so Ford settled with it and began looking for a pot.

Meanwhile, Mabel was sitting on her bed in the attic room, planning to finish the new sweater she had been working on the other day. Waddles was snoring soundly next to her and she smiled at the sight before returning to her work.

Suddenly, it began raining outside. The twelve-year old watched the rain drops hitting against the attic window and her thoughts drifted back to her missing brother and uncle. Mabel wished she could just go and look for them herself, but Ford told her not to because the forest was more dangerous at night.

Mabel knew in her heart that he was right, but that didn't stop her from worrying about Dipper and Stan. What if they were in danger? What if they were hurt or worse?

She shuddered at the thought and tried to focus on adding the finishing touches to her sweater instead.

Soon enough, Mabel heard her uncle calling her for dinner. She dropped her needles and sweater on the bed and made her way downstairs.

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"Ugh,"

Mabel slowly woke up, feeling heavy pounding in her head. With a soft moan, she looked around and realized she had slept on the couch. She recalled asking Great Uncle Ford if she could watch TV before going to bed.

Mabel gulped and tried to stand on her shaky legs. That's when the room suddenly spun sharply around her and she felt her fast flush hot. She knew what comes next.

Before she could stop herself Mabel knelt down and threw up on the hardwood floor. Her entire body shook from the effort and she whimpered weakly, trying to regain control of her breathing. Heavy footsteps sounded her way and someone walked in.

"Mabel?"

The next thing she knew Ford was kneeling down next to her, face showing deep concern.

"I don't feel so good…" She mumbled weakly as she clutched her stomach. Ford reached out and placed a hand on her warm forehead.

"Mabel, you're burning up. We have to take you back to your room." He said and carried her bridal style up the stairs.

Once they were in attic room, Ford placed her on the bed carefully and helped her out of her sweater to make breathing easier for her. "Wait here, I'll be right back, okay?"

Mabel nodded and watched her uncle leave the room. She closed her eyes and took a few shuddering breaths, trying to ignore aching pain in her head and stomach.

Mabel's heart sank when she realized she had made Great Uncle Ford worry about her twice today and been troubling him a lot lately. Ford must be frustrated with her right now. Tears began welling up in her eyes and she broke down sobbing.

Just then, Ford returned with a glass of water and a wet cloth and his eyes widen when he saw Mabel curled up on her bed, crying. He quickly placed the two items on the nightstand and hurried to her side.

"Mabel, what's wrong?" Ford asked in alarm, wondering what had made niece his cry. It couldn't have been another nightmare he hadn't been gone that long.

"I-I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…" Mabel said between her sobs. This confused him even more.

"For what? You hadn't done anything to apologize for." He stated.

"B-But I've been causing you a lot of trouble and m-making you worry and…" she trailed off and cried.

Ford sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Mabel, don't say that. I'm your uncle. I'm supposed to take care of. You couldn't help it back there so don't blame yourself for what happened, okay?" he told her softly.

Mabel sniffled and whipped at her eyes. "Sorry I made a mess back there." She mumbled weakly.

"It's alright. I'll go clean it up later." He replied.

Mabel nodded silently and then to his surprise, she flung herself onto him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. Ford was taken aback by the gesture. When was last time someone actually hugged him? He couldn't really remember, but he knew it had been a long time ago.

Ford felt his lips twitch upwards and he hugged back, comping her hair gently with his fingers.

They soon had to pull away. Ford grabbed the wet cloth her brought and used it to whip the sweat off her forehead, something he knew they should do to make sure her fever doesn't get worse.

"Here, you need to drink this." He said and held the glass close to her.

Mabel took the glass and gulped it down slowly before handing it back to him. "Thanks," she said and a soft yawn escaped her.

Ford smiled at this. "You should rest now. You had a long day, Mabel."

"Okay," she mumbled sleepily and closed her eyes.

"Good night," He said before making his way to the door and switching the light off. He glanced back at the kid one last time and smiled before closing the door behind him.

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 **A/N: I hope you liked this chapter. Thanks for reading and please review.**


	8. Realization

**Chapter 8 – Realization**

 **A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry for taking some time to update. I've just started my final exams and I can't update as quickly as before. Anyway, thanks for all the support you've been giving my story. I appreciate it!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Gravity Falls.**

 **Enjoy!**

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Stanford cracked open his eyes, realizing he fell asleep in his chair. He had stayed up late last night looking through all the books in his private study and ended up sleeping there. Sighing, he took off his glasses and rubbed his tired eyes before looking down at the pile of books on the table.

When Ford started searching for clues he had hoped the answer would come to him eventually, but nothing he found so far was going help him with their problem.

Frustrated, he slammed his fist down at the table forcefully causing a few items to fall off on the floor. Ford sighed and began making his way to the elevator. He would deal with this later.

Upon entering the gift shop, he headed to the kitchen and made himself some coffee.

 _I should go check on Mabel, see if she's okay_. He thought as he poured himself a cup of hot coffee. He really hoped the kid was feeling better after last night. He took a quick sip from his mug before making his way up the stairs. Slowly, he opened the attic door and found Mabel was already awake.

Still wearing her nightshirt, Mabel was laying on the floor, happily scribbling something down on a piece of paper. Upon hearing him enter, Mabel looked over and flashed him a toothy grin. "Morning, Great Uncle Ford!"

"Morning," he replied as he stepped closer to the preteen. "What are you doing?" he asked as he tried to get a look on what his niece was drawing.

"No peaking!" Mabel muttered, using her arms to cover her drawing from him.

Ford couldn't help chuckling. "Alright fine. I won't peak."

He then knelt down to her level and placed the back of his hand against the kid's forehead. "Still warm." he noted carefully. "How do you feel?"

Mabel's eye brows furrowed. "I dunno. Better I guess." She shrugged.

"That's good to hear." Ford removed his hand and nodded at this. "So what would you like for breakfast?"

Mabel felt her stomach twist violently at the mention of food and she quickly shook her head, grimacing.

"Mabel you won't get any better if you don't eat anything." He warned and crossed his arms.

"But I'm not hungry!" said Mabel.

Ford sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine, but you'll have something for lunch later." He stated sternly. "You should go back to bed now. I'll be down stairs so call if you need anything, okay?"

Mabel nodded and watched her great uncle leave the room. She then turned her attention back to her drawing and began scribbling again, a small smile forming on her lips.

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Later that day, Ford sat on the couch in the porch, gazing at the forest with a tired look on his face. After reaching another dead-end with his search, he decided to go outside for a while to clear his thoughts.

As much as he didn't want to, Ford knew he was going to have to tell Mabel about his lack of progress with finding their brothers. He also knew the kid was counting on him to find them which made it a lot harder for him to tell her.

Sighing, he stared blankly out at the forest not noticing the small figure silently approaching him.

"HIAYO!"

Ford gasped and nearly fell off the couch. He looked over and glared at the small preteen in front of him. "Don't do that!" he huffed, clutching at his chest. Mabel couldn't help it and burst into laughter at the sight.

"What are you doing out here anyway? You should be in bed!" he said sternly. Mabel's laughter suddenly ceased and she looked down frowning. Ford was surprised by the sudden change.

"I know, but I just didn't like being there by myself so I came to sit with you." Mabel explained. She climbed up the couch and took a seat next to him.

"Oh," he blinked in surprise and glanced away, mentally berating himself for leaving the kid alone again. Ford thought he would know better by now!

"Anyway, look what I made!" Mabel said suddenly, handing him a folded piece of paper. Confused, Ford unfolded it and what he saw next made his heart swell.

It was a drawing of the two of them standing in front of the Mystery Shack. At the bottom the names _Stanford and_ _Mabel Pines_ were neatly written surrounded by stars. It was really touching.

"See? It's us!" Mabel beamed up at him.

"This is really good, Mabel." Ford said approvingly, smiling down at her.

"Great because I want you to have it!" she exclaimed.

Ford smiled and nodded before folding the paper again and tucking it into his pants pocket. "Thanks, kid." He then reached out and ruffled her hair.

Mabel was about to say something again, but then stopped when something caught her attention in the woods. Ford blinked and tried to follow her line of sight to see what it was.

That's when he noticed the forest has gone quiet again. Only their own breathing can be heard. Just then, inky blankness began closing in from the woods and Ford immediately recognized it for what it was.

He quickly shot up and raised his arm protectively in front of Mabel who hid behind him as more black mist appeared. Without warning, some of the plants and flowers that were near it began to turn ashy and wither.

There, in the mist they could make out a tall shadowy figure standing there, unmoving.

Mabel felt a shiver run through her when she saw a flicker of bright yellow orbs in the darkness staring directly at her and she pressed herself closer to Ford.

The glowing orbs seemed to vanish suddenly and the black mist began to disperse before slowly disappearing with them. The natural sounds of the woods returning afterwards.

The two stayed there for a while, not daring to move. Mabel finally let out the breath she was holding once she was sure the thing was gone.

"What was that?" she asked and looked up at Ford who was still staring at the spot where the creature was, his eyes going wide.

"I think…I have an idea."

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 **A/N: I hope you liked this chapter. Thanks for reading and please review!**


	9. Rescue

**Chapter 9 – Rescue**

 **A/N: Hi everyone! I finally finished my exams so the next update won't take long. Anyway, here's the chapter you've been waiting for.**

 **I hope you enjoy it!**

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"A wraith?" Mabel asked, watching her great uncle pace the room.

"Yes, I'm sure of it." Ford said gravely.

Wraiths, from what he already explained to Mabel are one of the most dangerous beings he had encountered. They live in mountains and deep in the woods, roaming the wilds and attacking anything that comes their way, even going as far as abducting some of their victims to drain the life force out of them.

Mabel frowned, putting the pieces together in her head. "And you that's what happened to Dipper and Stan?" she finally concluded.

"It would make sense. The creature first appeared right after they went missing. I'm sure it has something to do with it." The author stated.

"Do you know where it took them?" Mabel asked.

"Yes, I have a map on the place somewhere in the basement lab. I'll fetch it and head there immediately." He said firmly. The sooner he got there the better.

"Then I'm coming too!" Mabel exclaimed determinately.

Ford frowned at this. The mission to the wraith's lair was too dangerous and he couldn't risk bringing the kid along. "Look Mabel, I think it will for the best if you wait for us here where it's safe."

"No I wanna go save Dipper and Stan!" Mabel protested.

"I know, but it's too dangerous for you out there and-"

"Great Uncle Ford, please! You have to let me go with you. Don't worry about me, I'll be okay." she said, pleadingly.

Ford sighed and ran a hand through his hair, unsure of what to say. He really didn't want to put the girl in danger, but he couldn't find it in himself to ignore her either. Besides, he could use some help on the way.

"Fine, you can come along." He finally said.

"Yes!" Mabel beamed and wrapped her arms around his leg. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Ford smirked and carefully pried her off his leg. "Alright, go start packing."

"You got it!" Mabel gave him a quick thumbs up before dashing up the stairs.

Ford smiled and shook his head at this.

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"Are we there yet?" Mabel asked, exhaustion clear in her voice. She wasn't really complaining, but merely voicing out her thoughts. They had been walking through the woods for more than an hour and her legs were getting tired. Just earlier, they had accidentally taken a wrong route and got chased by a gremloblin. To put it simply, the thing was really stubborn.

Ford glanced back at her. "Don't worry, we should be there soon." He said and returned to reading the map in his hands, muttering things she couldn't understand under his breath. Mabel sighed, but quickened her pace to catch up with him.

Mabel then noticed the trees were getting thinker around them and the two of them were in a part of the woods she didn't recognize, but she couldn't shake the feeling that somehow she had been here before. It almost looked like the place from her nightmare….

"We're here!" Ford announced once they reached a large gaping hole in the ground.

Curious, Mabel walked over and looked down. It was dark and seemed stretch on forever. It reminded her a lot of the bottomless pit near the shack. "Is this it?" she asked and glanced over to her great uncle who was busy looking through his backpack.

"Yes, careful! Don't get too close to it." Ford warned as he searched through his bag. "Ugh, I can't believe I forgot the rope!" he groaned. They will need it to descend down. It took them over an hour just to get here. They couldn't waste more time by going back to the shack to get some!

Sighing, he rubbed his chin thoughtfully and glanced over to a tree near the pit. Ford stared at it for moment and suddenly had an idea.

"Mabel, do you still have your grappling hook?" he asked.

"Yeah," she reached for her sweater pocket and handed it to him.

"Thanks," Ford then aimed at one of the low branches and pulled the trigger, securing the metallic hook around the branch.

Ford then used his other arm to lift Mabel and hold her close to his chest. "Ready?"

"Ready," Mabel nodded. With a deep breath, he took a few steps back before going down, using the grappling hook to slow their fall. Mabel wrapped her arms around Ford's neck and held on tightly as they descended deeper into the pit.

Soon enough, they reached the bottom of the pit and were plunged into darkness.

Ford set Mabel on the ground and gave her the grappling hook back so he could reach for his backpack. He unzipped it and withdrew the flashlights, handing one to Mabel while keeping the other for himself. He flipped the flashlight on and aimed it at the tunnel ahead.

"Stay close to me, okay?" he asked and got a nod from the girl as she switched on her own. With that, they began their trek through the tunnel.

Mabel followed her older relative while looking around curiously at their surroundings. The air was cold and damp and despite wearing a sweater she felt a shiver run through her spine. A low rumble suddenly reached their ears and both of the Pines froze.

"Did you hear that?" Ford whispered.

"Yeah, what was that?" she asked.

"I don't know. Let's just keep moving." He said and walked farther in with the kid in tow. The tunnel seemed to go on deeper into the ground and the light from the opening dimmed until vanishing completely.

It wasn't long until they stopped when they came across something neither of them expected. There were three different entrances right in front of them.

Ford stood there baffled. The map didn't say anything about this, but then again he never tried going this deep before.

"I think we should go this way," Mabel said suddenly, pointing to a tunnel on her left.

Ford eyed her doubtfully. "How do you know that?

"I just….have a feeling it's the right one, Great Uncle Ford. Trust me." She answered.

Ford opened his mouth to argue, but stopped himself when he saw the pleading look on the girl's face.

"Alright, let's go," he sighed. They continued walking down the path, their footsteps echoing through the tunnel. Mabel's eyes darted around the walls for a sign, anything that might indicate that someone was here.

And that's when she spotted the two motionless lumps and her eyes widen. There, on the ground, were her uncle and brother both tied up and unconscious.

"Dipper!" Mabel cried frantically and any other thought was banished from her mind as she raced to them. She heard Ford calling her name, but she didn't stop and hurried to her brother's side.

"Dipper, are you okay? Wake up!" Mabel muttered and shook him slightly, fear and dread filling her heart as she stared at him. Her brother was pretty scratched up and paler than usual and it made her heart sick.

"Dipper, please wake up!" Mabel said again and watched her brother finally stir.

"M-Mabel?" Dipper's eyes slowly opened and he coughed hoarsely before looking up at her.

"Yes, it's me Dipper." She replied, smiling weakly at him.

"Hold still," Ford set the flashlight on the ground and pulled out a small pocket knife, using it to cut the ropes from his hands and legs. Once he was free, Mabel flung herself into his arms and hugged him tightly.

"I was so worried about you," She whispered, feeling tears welling up in her eyes.

Despite how weak he looked, Dipper wrapped his around his sister and smiled contently.

Ford stood there watching the twins for a moment before remembering his twin brother. He quickly bent down and began cutting the ropes off him too.

A low rumble coming from the tunnel told him that whatever was out there was getting closer and he worked faster before placing a hand on his brother's shoulder and shaking him roughly. "Stan, wake up! Stanley!"

Stan grunted and slowly opened his eyes. "Ugh, my head….what's going on?"

"Grunkle Stan!" Mabel exclaimed and ran over to hug him as well.

Stan looked baffled at her. "Whoa, Mabel? Ford? How did you-"

"There's no time for that. We need to get out of her before-"Ford was cut off as a loud growl filled the air and all heads whipped to see a dark shadow standing near the exit, black smoke rising from its body and bright yellow eyes glowing fiercely at them. The air suddenly turned colder and Ford could see his own breath fog in front of him.

"I-It's back!" Dipper gasped in panic.

Without a single word, Ford quickly pulled out his gun and fired at the wraith, but he only managed to clip its side causing it to shriek angrily. Moving at inhuman speed, the wraith advanced at Ford and smacked him away with its arm.

Ford felt the wind being knocked out of him as he landed on the ground painfully.

"Great Uncle Ford!" the kids screamed. The wraith towered over Ford and raised its arm ready to tear at him when a familiar metallic hook came and struck the back of its head. The wraith reeled back and screeched in pain.

Ford's eyes followed the line of the hook to see Mabel clutching her gun tightly in her hands. "Help him!" she cried to the other two. Stan scrambled to get up and quickly rushed to his side.

"I got you, Sixer." Stan said as he helped his brother get back on his feet.

"Hurry! We need to get out of here!" Dipper shouted. Wasting no time, the four took off running towards the exit.

A loud roar told Ford that the monster had recovered from the hit and was coming after them. He dared to look back and saw a pair of bright orbs in the dark catching up to them.

Quickly, Ford raised his gun to fire, but because he wasn't looking ahead in that moment he stumbled over a rock causing him to miss and create a hole in the wall instead. The earth then shook violently and large cracks appeared in the ceiling.

Soon enough, the entire tunnel began caving in. The four panicked and ran as fast they could as large chunks of earth began falling around them.

"Keep running!" Stan shouted.

In the middle of his panic, Ford listened carefully for the wraith and was slightly relieved to hear the roars getting quieter by the second.

It wasn't long until they reached the end of the tunnel and their only exit shone high above.

"How are we going to get up there?" Dipper asked anxiously.

"With this!" Mabel exclaimed and raised her grappling hook in the air dramatically.

Quickly catching on, Ford took the gun from his niece and fired above to the edge. "Everyone grab onto me now!" he shouted. The three did as they were told and held onto him. Ford then pressed the switch and the next thing he knew they were being lifted off the ground towards the surface just as the rest of the tunnel collapsed.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Once they were outside, the adrenaline rush finally wore off and the four Pines dropped to the ground panting heavily.

"Too….old for this." Stan wheezed.

"We're the same age, Stan." Ford pointed out.

"Shut up,"

Ford rolled his eyes and tried to sit up, but winced at the pain in his chest. He probably got a dark bruise there.

Mabel seem to notice this and frowned in concern. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me." He said and smiled at the girl. "Though I should thank you for saving me back there. We wouldn't have made it in time without your help, Mabel." He said, placing a hand on her shoulder and giving her a fond smile in which she returned with her own.

It was finally over.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **A/N: Thanks for reading. Only one more chapter left and the story will be completed!**

 **Please review!**


	10. Closure

**Chapter 10 – Closure**

 **A/N: So we've finally reached the end of this story. Thanks for the all support and reviews you've been giving me!**

 **Enjoy the final chapter of Reality!**

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Mabel, can I talk to you for a second?"

Mabel paused through her knitting and looked over to see Ford peering through the door at her. "Uh…okay."

Ford then led Mabel to the gift shop and opened the vending machine door. He was about to go down the stairs when he noticed Mabel standing behind, staring at him in confusion.

"What's wrong?"

"Wait, you _want_ me to go to the lab with you?" Mabel asked in disbelieve. "But I thought you didn't want me down there."

Ford flinched and looked down guiltily, knowing that she was right. All this time he kept pushing Mabel away and had been unfair to her all because he thought she wouldn't be able to handle the things he worked on.

Then she proved him wrong.

Over the last few days, he grew very fond of this kid and got to see just how good she was in dealing with the supernatural. He just never really gave her a chance.

Ford sighed. "You're right, I really did try to keep you away and I'm sorry for that, Mabel." He said. "From now on you can come see me down there whenever you want."

Mabel eyes lit up. "Really!?"

Ford nodded. "Now c'mon. There is something I want to show you."

In a flash, Mabel was already running down the stairs before he could so much as prepare his next breath. Stanford chuckled at the kid's excitement and slowly made his way after her.

Soon enough, they arrived at the basement and the preteen began running around, looking at everything in confusion and awe. In all her brief visits to the place, she never really got to stick around and see what her uncle did in his time here.

It was then Mabel noticed a large tarp covering the spot where she remembered the portal should be. The girl stared at it for a moment and shrugged. She will ask Ford about it later.

Ford walked over to the wooden cabinet and unlocked it, pulling out the Rift and kneeling down so his niece could get a good look at it.

"This is an interdimensional rift that was created by the portal. It's true that Stan brought me back, but activating the portal left a tear in our dimension that never closed. I managed to contain it for now, but I'm not sure it can last forever." he explained.

Mabel stared at the rift in awe. It reminded her a lot of the snow globs in the gift shop, but with a small galaxy inside it. It was almost mesmerizing to look at.

"This is what Bill wants and if he ever get his hands on it, our world will be in danger. That's why we need to do whatever we can to protect it. I already showed it to your brother." He then smiled at her. "And now I think it's time you should know about it too because I trust you, Mabel."

Mabel stiffened and felt her eyes mist after finally hearing those words. For a long time she had wanted to hear her uncle say that to her, to let her know that he thought of her as someone worth trusting.

And now…..

Mabel couldn't help the grin forming on her face as she quickly ran over and hugged him tightly. This time Ford didn't hesitate and hugged back, smiling softly.

"Thanks, Grunkle Ford."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Dipper let out a soft yawn as he made his way downstairs. He hadn't thought much of it when he found his sister's bed empty, assuming she woke up before he did.

Dipper winced when he suddenly pressed a bit too hard on his foot. Despite the treatment he and Stan got from Ford and Mabel, he still felt sore and some of his injuries still ached.

Sighing, he entered the kitchen and found Stan cooking breakfast, humming softly to himself. "Morning, Grunkle Stan."

"Morning, kid." Stan greeted without taking his eyes off the stove.

"Hey, have you seen Mabel?" asked Dipper.

"No, I thought you would know where she went." Stan answered as he placed a plate of eggs on table.

Dipper pursed his lips in thought, wondering where his sister might have gone when a strange sound reached his ears. "Do you hear that?"

Stan frowned and listened carefully. "Now that you mentioned it, yeah I do."

Curious, the two headed off towards the living room where the voices were coming from and found Mabel and Ford, both busy scribbling down on paper. There were drawings laying on the floor everywhere, but the two didn't seem to mind.

Mabel paused and peered at her uncle's drawing, suddenly taking interest in it. "Ooh, what's that?"

"Those are forest fairies, Mabel. They live near the lake down the mountain. I can take you there to see them if you want." Ford stated.

"You mean it!?" Mabel muttered excitedly.

"Of course." Ford said and then frowned when he noticed his niece's familiar yet strange sketch. "What are you drawing anyway?"

"It's a snadger, Grunkle Ford!" Mabel answered.

Ford blinked. "A what?"

"It's a long story," the girl shrugged.

He smiled. "Well, I would love to hear it from you." He said and listened attentively to his niece, still oblivious to the two pairs of eyes watching them.

Dipper and Stan stood near the doorway gaping and glanced at each other in confusion.

"Just what exactly happened while we were gone?"

 **The End**

 **A/N: And done! I can't believe this story is finally finished. I had so much fun writing it and I'm really glad many of you liked it.**

 **Now I would like to thank everyone who reviewed for Reality!**

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